There have been Con Houlihan Memorial Concerts in Castleisland almost every year since the great man passed away in August 2012.
The concerts have been performed in a variety of genres from traditional Irish to male voice choirs from the UK.
There is one in the pipeline for 2019 and the planning is still ongoing and subject to secrecy until all of the loose ends are fit to be drawn together.
The Con Houlihan Memorial Committee will hold its annual general meeting on this Thursday night, Feburary 21st at 7:30pm at the River Island Hotel.
Anyone interested in getting involved in the committee will be most welcome.
Plans Afoot for Con’s House Restoration
Meanwhile, moves are afoot in Dublin and in Castleisland to rescue the remains of Con Houlihan’s old home from oblivion.
Restoration plans for the house in Reineen on the Limerick Road outside Castleisland involve former kerry footballer and government minister, Jimmy Deenihan – a long time friend of the late writer; Tralee native documentary maker, Maurice Healy who made the ‘Waiting for Houlihan’ documentary on Con’s life; Micheál O’Donoghue, O’Donoghue/Ring Hotels and Michael John Kearney, ex Kerry Group and Castleisland Chamber Alliance are also involved in the welcome moves to honour one of Castleisland’s greatest exports.
Con’s References to Home
You’ll find all kinds of references in Con’s writings of his home and his life there. All are now shrouded in poignancy because of those same, powerful writings.
In those same reams of local folklore you’ll find brilliantly crafted articles about life in ‘Castle Island’ before and during Con’s time here.
There’s one in the book In So Many Words on Michael ‘Mac’ Sugrue in which Con commits every aspect of Mac’s life to ink and posterity.
There are also equally revealing insights into the lives and struggling times of the residents of Pound Road. And these are only a couple of chapters in one of his many publications.
The moves to restore his old base at Reineen will be supported and welcomed by his readers everywhere.
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